Katherine Martin was known for being beautiful, inside and out.
Chestnut-colored hair fell over the 22-year-old’s shoulders, complemented by intelligent brown eyes and an award-winning grin known for erupting into songs of worship when she had a guitar in her hands.
“Her smile radiated,” said Kim Martin, Katherine’s mother. “People were drawn to her because of her sweet spirit. I think that was the core of who Katherine is.”
Martin, a recent UF graduate, died Wednesday of injuries from a single-car crash in Madison County.
A memorial service in remembrance of her will be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday at First Baptist Church of Boynton Beach.
Friends and family remember her as a woman who enjoyed inviting strangers to dinner at Moe’s Southwest Grill to talk about the gospel and expanding her coffee mug collection; who was as comfortable crossing the Atlantic Ocean to serve in a mission group as she was floating down the Ichetucknee River; and who believed it was more worthwhile to devote her college years to spreading the word of Christ through student ministry than being a complacent student.
“She had a heart for people,” said Justin Dicus, pastor for student church Gator Christian Life. “You could see it in her actions and words.”
She came to UF in 2008 after graduating from the International Baccalaureate program at Atlantic High School with high honors.
“She was known as someone that everyone could talk to about their religion, no matter what your religion was,” Kim Martin said. “Katherine really [thrived] at UF because of the diversity of the kids.”
Martin remained zealous in her beliefs throughout college and was passionate in helping guide young women through struggles in their life through Christ and prayer. She had a gift for finding and developing others’ potential.
Near the end of her freshman year, Martin joined Gator Christian Life church. She served there for the rest of her undergraduate career, first as a member of the church’s worship band and later as a group leader. That semester she would also meet her future boyfriend, Mateo Echeverry.
The two met while sharing a ride from Gainesville to South Florida and would eventually co-lead an assembly of about 20 students at Gator Christian Life.
“I was leading with my best friend,” Echeverry said. “It was great to share the gospel alongside somebody I loved.”
On July 4, the couple celebrated their two-and-a-half year anniversary by spending a week exploring Washington, D.C.
“I was glad I got to treat her to that,” said Echeverry, who was working in Virginia at the time. “It was the last time I saw her.”
Martin still made sure to prioritize her studies. She received a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders from UF a semester early with a 3.87 GPA.
“She was probably the most intelligent person I ever knew,” said Heather Walker, Martin’s friend. “She and I would sit at the table and study neurology together. Every question I had, she always knew the answer.”
In her free time, Martin worked as a research assistant at the UF Aphasia Research Laboratory. After finishing her graduate studies in speech pathology at Florida State University, which she would’ve begun in the fall, she wanted to help speech-impaired stroke victims regain the ability to speak while she raised a family.
“Her goals in life weren’t material,” Walker said. “It was about loving God and loving others.”
On Monday, Echeverry described Martin in a Bible verse from the New Living Translation, Proverbs 31:29.
“There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!”
Katherine Martin, a 22-year-old UF alumna, led students in small-group worship through Gator Christian Life church at UF. She was killed in a car accident Wednesday in Madison County.
